Date: Fri, 24 Nov 1995 06:19:00 -0500
From: RLaFont@aol.com
Review
"End of the World Party"
I said to the producer, David Craig, that this play must certainly have been
written for or by Jim J. Bullock. When you see this, and you will, you will
know exactly what I mean. Jim has long been pretender to the throne of Paul
Lynde. He will probably never speak with me again after this but really!
Don't you remember the day when Paul couldn't make it in for center square on
"The Hollywood Squares" who pinch hit for him. Yes, Jim J. Bullock, only I
think he was going by JM. J. Bullock at the time but that doesn't matter now.
Back in the late 70's we had Paul, Charles Nelson Reilly and Jim as our nelly
boys on national TV and sometimes in the movies. Now of course you know that
I mean that in the very nicest way. Back then, the people in the "know" would
never allow a "real" homosexual in a production unless he was pitied,
pathetic or eventually killed. Except for these three. Primarily because they
had something special. They had the magic that makes people laugh, humor.
And more than that they were Gay, out and proud. They didn't have to march in
a parade or come out to Hard Copy for you to know it. You just did. And if
you didn't then your head was stuck into it's shoulder blades in sand. That's
why when I saw this play I knew that Jim had to have had a hand in it's
creation. It is so clever and so much fun that I couldn't have imagined it
differently.
Well guess what, it wasn't and more than that, this play has been waiting
over three years to get produced. The more I know about the entertainment
business the more it baffles me. For whatever reason this perfect snapshot of
a possibly final summer on Fire Island for seven long time friends and their
tricks finally got made. Thank the Goddess.
I want to make it very clear however that this is not a platform held up only
by the very able stems of Jim J. Bullock. Every actor in this production is a
rock solid contributor to what becomes a granite wall of an ensemble.
I need to note that Doug Tompos, who played the title role in "Jeffrey" both
in LA and NY is once again stellar in this production. Any of you who saw the
play already know that Doug was brilliant and should have done the movie too.
That "Wings" guy was cute but he should play within his range. Doug's
character "Travis" is "just one of the guys" who lost his lover to AIDS the
winter before and is not quite feeling the spirit of the "Pines" on this
particular vacation.
Richard Hochberg plays Will. I had a friend who was Will, I think we all
have. He is not tall, not very pretty, keeps himself trim but uses sex to
validate his existence. Never quite sure about who he is, he gets his hugs
from strangers in the bushes. Other reviewers will tell you that this is a
laugh every 20 seconds and that's true. But there are some touching and
poignant people presented to you, between Jim's clever witticisms.
Like Nick, beguilingly played by Kevin Spirtas. Always with his shirt off or
open he plays this man who will never know love. Partly due to the
pathologically dysfunctional family that raised him, then substantiated by a
pathological faction of the Gay community that lets pretty boys behave as
they will with little regard for feelings and no regard for love.
I am dwelling on the nuance and should be telling you about the sets and
light. If you have been to Celebration Theater you know that it's small. So
one gets to accept that there is only so much you can do with decor in such a
small space. Obviously no one told that to Jimmy Cuomo (sets) and Frank
McKown (light), because they performed the miracles required. Inside the
beach house, out on the sand, gazing up at the stars and the moon. Even an
Extacy induced flash back into past summers on the strand.
Do you get the idea that I liked it? Well I did! I loved it! If I went on any
more I'd ruin it for you so just go and see it. If you read my previous
review on "Party" you will know that while some critics think these two
plays are the same, the critics are lame. I am sure now that 'professional'
theater critics snooze through the parts between "In the beginning" and
"happily ever after", or just wake up enough to quote a barb or a jibe.
In my humble opinion, live theater is a rare and special experience that 500
channels of satellite direct TV may soon eclipse. As bad or as good as it may
be, theater is people reaching out and touching other people. Every time that
a man or woman can please an other with a song, a dance, or a word, is a very
special time.
Incidentally, this play was written by Chuck Ranberg. You might recognize his
name if you watched the latest EMMY awards ceremony. He was hired to write
Frazier' witty lines after one of Frazers producers witnessed a cold reading
of this play 3 years ago. Chuck has that EMMY on his mantle now, or wherever.
Featuring: Jim J. Bullock, Michael Latimer, Ric Coy, Richard Hochberg, Doug
Tompos, Kevin Spirtas, Todd Rulapaugh and Scott Plimpton. Produced by David
Craig. Directed by Robert Schrock.
This review by Bob LaFont